Important

Name origin

East Arnhem Land is named after the Dutch ship Arnhem which explored the coast in 1623.

Location and boundaries

The Developing East Arnhem Limited area is located in the north-east corner of the North Territory, about 1,000 kilometres east of Darwin. The Developing East Arnhem Limited area is bounded by the Arafura Sea in the north, the Gulf of Carpentaria in the east, the Roper Gulf Regional Council area in the south, and the West Arnhem Regional Council area in the west.

Included areas

The Developing East Arnhem Limited area includes the townships, localities and communities of Alyangula, Angurugu, Anindilyawka, East Arnhem, Galiwinku, Gapuwiyak, Gunyangara, Milingimbi, Milyakburra, Nhulunbuy, Ramingining, Umbakuma and Yirrkala.

Land use

The Developing East Arnhem Limited area is a rural and wilderness area, with special purpose townships at Alyangula (Groote Eylandt) and Nhulunbuy, and remote indigenous communities at Angurugu, Galiwinku, Gapuwiyak, Gunyangara, Milingimbi, Milyakburra, Ramingining, Umbakumba and Yirrkala, and numerous outstations. The Developing East Arnhem Limited area encompasses a total land area of over 33,000 square kilometres. The main industries are bauxite and manganese mining, with fishing and tourism also being important industries.

Transport

The Developing East Arnhem Limited area is served by Central Arnhem Road and Gove Airport.

Settlement history

Traditionally, indigenous people lived in the area, and continue to do so, mainly in small communities. European settlement dates from the early 1900s, when several mission stations were established. Cattle grazing, fishing and timber milling also developed at this time. In 1931 Arnhem Land was declared an Aboriginal Reserve. During World War II, the Gove Peninsula was a RAAF base, with over 5,000 servicemen stationed in the area. In 1963 manganese mining began on Groote Eylandt, which resulted in the establishment of the special purpose township of Alyangula. In the late 1960s a bauxite mine and deep water port were established on Gove Peninsula, followed by an alumina refinery. The special purpose township of Nhulunbuy was established in 1972 to service the needs of the nearby Nabalco (now Rio Tinto Alcan) bauxite mining operations. Rapid population growth took place in and around Nhulunbuy during the 1970s and early 1980s. The population of the Region increased from about 10,000 people in 1991 to over 13,000 people in 2006 as new dwellings were added to the area, and then was relatively stable to 2011. It is anticipated that the population will be impacted by the closure of the alumina refinery in 2014.

Indigenous background

The original inhabitants of the East Arnhem area were the Yolngu Aboriginal people who continue to live throughout the area and have strong traditional ties with the land.

Notes

In many Aboriginal communities, population figures can fluctuate dramatically, due to a number of factors including seasonal changes (wet and dry seasons) and ceremonial activity.

Regional labour force

Developing East Arnhem Limited area labour force region is defined by an area in which a significant percentage of workers travelled into Developing East Arnhem Limited area to work at the 2011 Census. Details of this calculation and a list of areas included can be found in the data notes.

Free demographic resources

DISCLAIMER: While all due care has been taken to ensure that the content of this
website is accurate and current, there may be errors or omissions in it and no legal
responsibility is accepted for the information and opinions in this website.

Copyright in ABS data vests in the Commonwealth of Australia. Distribution of this
data is not permitted without the written consent of the Australian Statistician.
Please contact intermediary.management@abs.gov.au
if you have any queries or wish to distribute any ABS data.